Constant-level liquid-hydrocarbon vaporizer for oil-engines.



N0. 741,810. 'PATBNTE'D OCT. 20; 1903.

CONSTANT LEVEL LIQUID HYDROGARBON VAPORIZER FOR OIL ENGINES. I

APPLIOATION nun NOV. 24, 1902.

no MODEL. I V a snms-snnm 1.

PATENTED 00120, 1903,.

' 0. M. MOHLBR. v v CONSTANT LEVEL LIQUID HYDROQARBON VAP'ORIZER FOROILENGINES.

'APPLIOATIbN FILED 110173251902.

7 a SHEETS-SHEET 2..

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED 00'1". 20, 19013.

C. M. MOH-LER. CONSTANT LEVEL LIQUID HYDROGARBON VAPORIZERfPOROILENGINES.

APPLIOATI'ON FILED NOV. 24, 1902.

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NlTED STATES Patented October 20, 190$.

PATENT FFICE.

CONSTANT-LEVEL LIQUID-HYDROCARBON VAPORIZER FOR OIL-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,810, dated October20, 1903.

Application filed November 24, 1202. Serial No. 132,683. on model.)

To all whom it mtty concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES M. MOHLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kenosha, in the-county of Kenosha and State of Wisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Constant-LevelLiqhid-Hydrocarbon Vaporizers for Oil-Engines, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to constant-level liqhid-hydrocarbon Vaporizers foroil-engines used with oil-engines and belonging to the class in whichthe principal mixing-chamber for air and sprayed liquid issupported'directly above the reservoir and at right angles to the jet of liquiddrawn in by thesuction of the engine.

The object of my invention is the construction of a vaporizer of thecharacter and form stated which shall consist of a minimum number ofindividual parts, and the object of the invention further comprehends aparticular arrangement of those parts, as hereinbelow set forth.

It is also an object of my invention to produce a vaporizer automatic inaction and when properly adjusted giving a uniform explosive mixtureirrespective of the speed of the engine and through a wide range ofspeed-as, for example, in engines for motorcarriages.

I attain the object desired by employing and associating the severalelements illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereof- Figure 1represents a top plan view; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section online a: m of the first figure, and Fig. 3 a cross-section on liney y ofthe first figure. Fig. 4c is a top plan view of the perforated head ornozzle for spraying the oil.

Like numbers of reference designate like parts throughout.

Considering the drawings, numeral 1 marks the coupling'or connection tobe screwed into which slides a gate 8, engaging and operated by themovement of the end of a lever 9, pivoted on the same short shaft 10with crank 11, the shaft being journaled in the bracket 12, castintegrally with tube 4. A reciprocating rod from the engine is to beconnected with crank 11, and gate 8 is caused to alternately open andclose the path by which the explosive mixture passes from mixing-chamber5 to the engine.

In Fig. 1 is shown the top of the circular screw-cap 13, which is, infact, a part of the tubular casting 4. Cap 13 engages exterior threads14 at the mouth of a reservoir or bowl 15. Fluid enters the reservoir byWay of connection 16 and through a constricted passage 17, the lowermouth of the passage forming a seat for the pointed end of a cylindricalbody 18, constituting a valve. Connection 16 is threaded and capable ofbeing adjusted up and down through cap or cover 13, which raises andlowers the constricted portion or valve-seat 17 and calls for ahigher orlower level of fluid and float to close the oil-entrance. An externalnut 16 fixes the connection in any adjusted position. Against the otherend of valve body 18, usually rounded, as shown, rests the bridge-piece19, which joins the corresponding ends of the twin levers 20 and 21,that operate as one and have the same fulcrum 22, supported by the lug23, projecting downwardly from the interior of cap 13. Beyond lug 23 tothe right of the fulcrum a short upwardly directed rear part of eachlever is extended, as shown in Fig. 3, forlever 21 and marked 21. Asthat end of lever 21 to which bridge-piece 19 is attached falls with theliquid-level and float rear part 21 rises against cap 13 and limits thelevers movement. This limitation is necessary to prevent the freevalvethe tube 24 is located centrally in the bowl, and at the axis ofthe tube the oil-supply pipe 26 stands. Pipe 26 is upheld by a crossconnecting-block 27, and both pipe and block are of the same piece withthe tube 24 and bowl 15. By boring the block 27 and pipe 26 axiallypassages at right angles to each other are formed. At its lower endbelow the block an extension of the pipe is exteriorl y threaded andengages a centrally-raised portion of the pan 28, which will be furtherdescribed. By reason of this connection with pan'28 the bore of pipe 26is permanently closed at the bottom. At the top the pipe 26 is providedwith a spray head or nozzle 29, having the circular interior 29, thecentrally-located opening 29", connecting with the bore of pipe 26, thecentral perforation 29 through the top of the head, and outlyingperforations 29, all of which operate to spray the fluid into the upperpart of combining-tube 24. It will be noted here that as both air andoil are drawn in through the combining-tube 24 the upper part of thetube is in a degree a mixing-chamber. Rod-valve 30 is adjustable towardor from nozzle 29 by means of a threaded portion 31, and its adjustmentis fixed by nut 32 on the outside of tubular casting 4. The centralperforation 29 of head 29 may be entirely closed by rodvalve 30 and theamount of entering fluid out down by that much, if desired.

At the right the mixing-chamber 5 is closed by the hollow screw-plug 33.Through the base of the plug is an opening 34, and through its outerwall are a series of openings 35. A tubular extension 36 of the plugsurrounds a puppet-valve rod 37, its outer and threaded end engagingtheadjusting thumb-nut 38 and its inner end terminating in a head 39.Around rod 37 is a leather or fiber washer 40, backed by a metal plate4i and arranged to close the opening 34 in the base of the plug, and acoil-spring 42 encircles the rod and is compressed between the rod-head39 and metal valve-plate 41. By means of the thumb-nut the compressionof the spring is regulated, and the amount of air admitted in responseto the suction of the engine may be controlled in that way. I

Number 43 marks the annular float placed within the bowl around thecentrally-located combining-tube 24, and it is my custom to constructthe float with'an upwardly-expanding interior to add to its buoyancy andpromptness of action as the level of fiuid rises. By Figs. 2 and 3 itmay be discerned that an upward movement of the iioat raises the leversand closes valve 18 wholly or partly, thus maintaining a constant levelof fiuid in the bowl in the ordinary way.

I In Figs. 2 and 3 the element of my invention is shown which I havecalled herein the pan 28. It is supported, as stated, by itsscrew-threaded engagement with the lower end of the oil-pipe 26, and itcloses the lower end of the pipe and partly closes the opening ofinjector tube 24 through the bottom of the bowl. Through the annularopening between the edgeof pan 28 and the bottom of the bowl an amountof air may be drawn by a certain degree of suction, and a certain amountof oil is by the I same suction sprayed at the nozzle 29. Combined airand oil in definite proportions enter the combining-tube andmixing-chamber. When it is desired to run an engine at its maximum speedand power, adequate charges of the explosive mixture of air and gasoleneare demanded in rapid succession. Certain definite amounts of air andgasolene must be combined to produce the most powerful result.Ordinarily Vaporizers are constructed to serve at average speed thisdefinite mixture, which utilizes all the gasolene, and is therefore mosteconomical. In myinvention the combiningtube 24, partly closed by pan28, and head 29 are thus proportioned and deliver the proper mixture atslow speed; but as the speed increases more gasolene will be suckedthrough the head than the amount of entering air will satisfy, and themixture becomes too rich in gasolene, limiting its explosive power. Moreair must be provided, and the puppet-valve effects this automatically.At slow speeds the puppet-valve remains seated; but as the speedincreases the valve begins to open and admit outside air. The greaterthe speed and the more rapidly the mixture is called for the greater theopening of the valve and volume of entering air to be combined with theexcess of gasolene. Thus the explosive quality of the mixture ismaintained at the point of greatest economy and power whatever thespeed. Attention is here called to the fact that the amount of airpassing through combining-tube 24 may be limited by the diameter ofspray-head 29. Where the head is given a certain size, it acts preciselyas the pan 28 does, permitting the passage of just the proper amount ofair at slow speed, and the pan might be omitted. Any number ofperforations can be given head 29. Pan 28 forms the top of a hollowhemispherical casting 44, and on each side are threaded-projections 45and 46, with a passage 47 extending through both and into the hollowcasting 44. This hollow hemisphere is, in fact, an air-heater, and it ismy custom to direct, by suitable piping, a portion of the exhaust fromthe engine through passage 47 in order to heat the air drawn into tube24, the heated air assisting materially in vaporizing the oil.

I am aware that constant-level Vaporizers, including float controlledoil valves; have been constructed, and I do not claim those features.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention,what I claim is 1. In a constant-level vaporizer, the combination of amixing-chamber, a puppet-valve adapted to admit air to said chamber, aspring yieldingly holding said valve to its seat and means for adjustingthe spring, a bowl adjacent to said chamber, a valve admitting oil tothe bowl, an annular float within the bowl, mechanism constructed totransmit the movement of the float to the said oil-valve, acombining-tube opening through the bottom of said bowl and leadingthrough the float into the said mixing-chamber, devices connected withthe bowl and adapted to spray the oil by way of the said combining-tubeinto the mixing-chamber, and an air-heater partly closing the exteriormouth of the combining tube, substantially as described. 2. In aconstant-levelvaporizer, the combination of a mixing-chamber, apuppet-Valve at one end of said chamber adapted to admit air to saidchamber, a spring yieldingly holding said valve to its seat and meansfor adjusting the spring, a bowl arranged beneath the saidmixing-chamber, a valve admitting oil to the bowl, an annular floatwithin the bowl, mechanism constructed to transmit the movement of thefloat to the said oil-valve, an adjustable oil-valve seat whereby theclosing position of the oil-valve may be raised or lowered causing ahigher or lower level of oil in said bowl and corresponding elevation ofthe float, a combining-tube opening centrally through the bottom of thebowl and opening at the top into the said mixing-chamber, devicesconnected with the bowl and located in the combining-tube constructed tospray oil' ing-chamber, and an air-heater having a hol 'low interior andadapted to be coupled to the exhaust-pipe of the engine, the top of saidheater having the form of a pan and being arranged to partly close theexterior mouth of said cOmbining tube, substantially as described. 1

4:. In a constant-level vaporizer, the combination of a mixing-chamber,a bowl adjacent to the chamber, devices connected with the bowl andadapted to admit air and to spray oil into the chamber, a screw-threadedconnection adjustable up or down through the top of said bowl, the saidconnection having a constricted portion and a valve-seat, an independentvalve-body engaging the said seat, levers supporting the saidvalve-body, a float within the bowl and normally in contact with thesaid levers, and means for limiting the fall of the ends of the leverssupporting said valve-body, the adjustment of said screwthreadedconnection allowing a higher or lower position of the said float andcorresponding liquid-level in said bowl, substantially as described.

5. In a constant-level vaporizer, the combination ofa mixing-chamber, anair-valve opening into said chamber, a bowl adjacent to the chamber, acombining-tube rising centrally from the bottom of the bowl at rightangles to the said chamber and opening into it, an oil-pipe andspray-head located axi ally in said tube and connected with the bowl, athreaded valve-rod passing through the chamber and adjustable to or fromsaid sprayhead, the said combining tube spreading downwardly, an annularfloat in the bowl encircling said tube, the inner wall of the floatspreading downwardly, pivoted levers resting normally on said float, anindependent valve-body supported at one endof said levers, ascrew-threaded connection adjustable up or down through the top of thebowl and having a constricted portion and a valve-seat engaging saidvalve-body, the adjustment of said connection allowing a higher or lowerposition of said float and corresponding liquid level in said bowl, anda pan attached to the said oil-pipe partlyclosin g the exterior mouth ofsaid combiningtube, substantially as described.

V 6. In a constant-level vaporizer, the combination of a mixing-chamberhaving an inlet air-valve, a bowl adjacent to the said chamber,float-operated devices constructed and arranged to maintain a constantliquid-level in the bowl, a combining-tube entering the mixing-chamberand open to air, an oil-supply pipe axially disposed in thecombiningtube, a spray-head secured to the end of said oil-pipe withinthe combining-tube, and an air-heater partially closing the exteriormouth of the said combining-tube, substantially as described.

7. In a constant-level vaporizer, the combination of a mixing-chamber,an adjustable spring-l1eld puppet air-valve connected with the chamber,a bowl adjacent to the chamber, an oil-valve admitting oil to the bowl,an adjustable oil-valve seat whereby the closing position of theoil-valve may be raised and lowered thus enabling the constant level ofoil in the bowl to be fixed at ditterent heights, float-operated devicesconstructed and arranged to actuate the said oil-valve, a combining-tubeentering the mixing-chamber and open to air, an oil-supply pipe axiallydisposed in the combining-tube, a spray-head secured to the end of saidoilpipe within the combining-tube, and an air-heater partially closingthe exterior mouth of the said combining-tube, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a vaporizer, the combination of a mixing-chamber, an adjustableair-valve at one end of the said mixing-chamber, a combiningtube openinginto the mixing-chamber at one end and into the atmosphere at the otherend, oil-spraying devices located in the said combining-tube, means forserving the oil and ICC for regulating the oil served to the saidoilspraying devices, and an air-heater arranged to partly close the endof the said combiningtube which opens to the atmosphere whereby airdrawn into the said combining-tube is heated and the said openingrestricted to a certain predetermined area.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

l CHARLES M. MOHLER.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR GARDINER; H. M. BALDWIN.

